All I Wanted
by Joss17
Summary: During the summer, Bella Swan goes on a European trip where she meets the love of her life, Edward Masen. But, everyone knows summer love isn't meant to last. Written for the Broken Fairy Tale Challenge. AU/AH
1. Rome is Where I Want to Be

**Broken Fairy Tale Challenge**

**Story Title: All I Wanted**

**Words: 9,802**

**Author: Joss17**

**ExB Paring**

**All right well this is my entry for for the Broken Fairy Tale Challenge. I would first off like two thank my two wonderful betas. First is MadeleineJade for hleping me when out when I asked her. She's amazing and a super beta! :) **

**And, a big thank you to Bronzehairedgirl620 for helping me out as well. Thank you for everything. :)**

**Lastly I would like to thank Devyn, for listening to me complain on Skype about how this one-shot is probably sucks and for her words of encouragement. Thank Devs, love you!**

**This is the first time I've ever written a one-shot for a challenge. The idea hit me when I saw the challenge and just had to write and let it all out. And, 22 pages later this is what you get.**

**I hope you like this one-shot. now, this is a non-happily ever after, but I have written and alternate ending that would allow me to continue writing a full length story once the challenge is over. If you'd like me to continue, please review. If enough people would like, then I will continue and make this a Happily Ever After.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight or the characters do not belong to me. I just like the stick them in these situations and make their lives complicated.**

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It all started on a Wednesday evening and quickly ended on Friday night. Only three days and two nights, yet it was the most magical time of my life. Years later I'd look back and remember those hot, blissful days with him.

Even after all that time that had passed I could still feel the way his long fingers caressed my cheek. I could still see his bright green eyes as they quietly observed me as if I were the only thing in his world that mattered. I could still see his disheveled copper hair and how it looked as if he just had just rolled out of bed. I'd never forget the way the left side of his mouth pulled up slightly higher than the right, producing the sexiest crooked smile.

If I closed my eyes, I could picture him sitting next to me. I could see him. I saw him everywhere. I saw his perfect crooked smile giving me the look I'd longed for all these years. I reached out for him but as soon as my fingertips were within reach, he would disappear and I was left alone.

I'd looked for him once or twice but had no luck finding him again. I'd always wondered what could have been had I not left. If I stayed like he'd asked me to, where would we have been now? Would we be happily married with copper haired, brown-eyed children? Would it have been a relationship from hell? I'd never know. It was the not knowing that has driven me mad all these years. How I longed to see him if only once more. Just to ask him if he'd ever thought of me as much as I'd thought of him.

If I concentrated hard enough, I could replay those moments like they were yesterday.

It all began during the summer after I graduated from college. I was a Stanford graduate and my friends wanted to celebrate by leaving the country. Spending a summer in Italy was a nice reward for all of my hard work.

"Bella, we're here! Can you stand it?" Alice exclaimed excitedly in her seat. She bounced up and down, grabbing my arm from all the excitement.

"Alice, let go of my arm. You're cutting off my circulation." I complained, shaking her hand off.

Alice laughed. "Sorry, Bella. I'm just so excited."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Rosalie said groggily, as she had just woken up from her nap.

"Shut up, Rose. I'm trying to get Bella in the mood. She's been moping around ever since she heard about this trip," Alice said.

"Hey, that's not true! I am excited," I tried saying it as convincingly as possible.

It wasn't that I hadn't wanted a nice, long vacation. I just liked giving Alice a hard time. It was my source of entertainment. I had wanted to come to Italy ever since I learned how to speak Italian, and now I was finally able to practice my Italian. Speaking with people who were in your class was different than conversing with native speakers.

"How can you not be excited? There's Rome, gelato, hot Italian men. Need I go on?" Alice asked as she wiggled her eyebrows.

A slow smile appeared on my face. "Well, I guess you do have a point." Alice and Rosalie laughed at my response.

I had known Alice and Rose since we were freshman at Stanford and were all roommates. I had immediately clicked with Alice. She was a constant source of energy; it was hard not to fall in love with her.

Rosalie was a lot harder to connect with. She had a tough, reserved and bitchy exterior that made it hard for her to open up to us. She had a dark past that made it hard for her to trust anyone beside herself. Once Alice and I proved we weren't just anyone, she opened up to us. I couldn't believe all the shit she had gone through in her life. Since that night we'd all been attached at the hip. We've all had each other's backs and I was lucky to have found amazing friends like them.

We quickly exited the plane and passed through customs, retrieved our luggage and called a taxi. I had the windows rolled down and stuck my head out, wanting to take all of Rome in. I closed my eyes and breathed in the air. It felt like…freedom. As if I was seeing life in a new way. I had this feeling in my gut that it would only get better. It was the most exhilarating feeling I've ever had in my life.

We arrived at the hotel and Alice found a few guys willing to help us with our bags. I rolled my eyes as the guys excitedly grabbed our luggage and headed for the hotel.

Our hotel had a great view of the wonderful city of Rome. The first thing I did was crash on the bed. It was the most comfortable thing I had ever laid on. I was getting extremely sleepy and comfortable when Alice decided to pull me off the bed.

"Don't fall asleep, we need to get used to Rome time," Alice said and tried to pull me away from the bed.

I resisted her pull. "Alice, I'm not going to fall asleep. Just give me ten minutes; I want to rest for a while."

Those ten minutes quickly turned into a few hours. Rosalie ended up snuggling next to me and Alice reluctantly joined us. I awoke to find Rose hovering over Alice and me with a pillow, which she insisted to hit us with over and over again.

"Get your asses up and feed me, bitches!" Rosalie said smacking us with each word she said.

Alice rolled off the bed landing on the floor and I began laughing at her. She glared at me and pulled me on the floor with her. I laughed so hard that night. Since it was already late and most food places were closed, we took a night stroll around Rome. The streets were empty, and it was peaceful walking through the streets with my two best friends.

We didn't sleep most of the night and once we did get to sleep, it was past four in the morning. Once we awoke around noon, we took a trip to the Piazza Trevi to do a little shopping. When we got hungry and tired from all of the shopping Alice forced me to do, we stopped by a restaurant. The waiter was Italian and extremely good looking. He started to speak in Italian, asking us if we spoke his language. Finally, I had the chance to brush up on my skills.

He asked us simple questions. Where were we from? How long were we staying? He then took our order and quickly brought us our drinks.

Just before he left he said, "Lei tre sono molto belli." _You three are very beautiful._ I translated to Rosalie and Alice and they both thanked him.

"He was so nice," Alice said.

"I'll take your word for it. I was too busy staring at that beautiful, beautiful man," Rosalie said truthfully.

"Oh, God, Rose," I said rolling my eyes.

"Like you didn't notice," Rosalie said.

We laughed, we talked, we had a good time. We came here most days and talked to our favorite waiter, though I did most of the talking.

During our trip we traveled to different places outside of Rome. We stayed in Naples for two weeks and then stayed in Venice for another week. We even spent a week in Nice, France. It was the vacation of a lifetime and I never wanted it to end. During the last week, we traveled back to Rome and stayed there for the remainder of the trip.

We, of course, returned to our favorite waiter. He smiled brightly and welcomed us back with free drinks. I really loved Rome. It was still early in the afternoon and I wanted to look in a used bookstore that I hadn't had the chance visit before.

"Bella, I am not stepping foot in another bookstore," Rosalie said decidedly.

"Oh, come one. I went shopping with you guys. You owe me," I whined.

"No way." Both Rose and Alice had made their minds up.

I sighed. "Fine, I'll go by myself. I'll see you guys at the hotel."

I waved good-bye and walked off to the bookstore. It was hot and humid, so I took off my sweater and shoved it in my bag, which I handed to the sales clerk in the bookstore for him to hold while I perused the store. A couple hours had passed and I had a huge stack of books in front of me. I scowled, knowing I couldn't take all of them. For the life of me I couldn't decide on which ones to buy so I closed my eyes and picked up random ones.

I walked toward the cash registers and noticed only one person in line. He was tall, lean, and clearly well built. He had on a t-shirt and dark jeans with black worn out converse that looked a lot like mine. I could see his hair sticking out in all directions. I leaned in closer observing his hair color. I didn't know what color it was. It was a copper, bronze colored; easily the most unique color I'd ever seen. I found myself wanting to see the front of him. I was itching for him to turn around, though the backside of him wasn't bad to look at by any means.

What the hell was I thinking? I must have needed some coffee or a nap.

What pulled me out of ogling his back was the sound of his voice. "I'm sorry, I don't understand," said Mr. Sexy Back.

It was simply the most velvety voice I'd ever heard. I could feel goose bumps cover my arms. I didn't understand this reaction I was getting from just the sound of his voice, but I felt this strange pull towards him. I strained my neck to see his face but he turned his face just before I could get a good look. I paid closer attention to what was happening. Mr. Sexy Back didn't understand Italian and didn't understand what the sales clerk was telling him. Thankfully, I heard the sales clerk and understood perfectly what he was saying to him.

"He's saying that all used books are non refundable," I said.

His back stiffened and I swore I saw his fist clench. His posture quickly relaxed and I thought maybe I had imagined it all. He turned his body towards me and I could feel my heart beat faster. There may have been a chance that I gasped slightly when I came face to face with this Adonis. Adonis had indeed come to life. He had a beautiful face, pointy nose, plump lips, and that jaw. I had to suppress a moan. What struck me most of all were his eyes. The greenest eyes that looked right at me almost as if they were looking right through me. I felt heat rise up in my cheeks and bit my lip in nervousness. I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and shifted slightly.

What was happening to me? Never had I had a reaction this strong over a guy before. It was exhilarating yet terrifying at the same time. Then he did something that nearly made my knees buckle. The left side of his mouth pulled out slightly higher than the other creating what would be his trademark, a crooked smile. I blew out a long shaky breath. _Pull it together, Swan._

His lips formed an 'o' and he ran a hand through his hair. "Would you tell him that's fine? I'll still take the books."

I could feel shivers flow through me when he spoke. Somehow I managed to concentrate enough to quickly translate for him. Once he was done paying he thanked the sales clerk and turned to me. He shot me another crooked smile and I had to pry my eyes from his lips.

"Thanks for the translation. Clearly, my Italian is a lot worse than I thought it was," he said.

"It was no problem, really," I said.

"Yes, well, I appreciate it." He stood there looking at me. It looked as though he didn't want to leave. He shifted his foot and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "Well, thanks again. Have a good day, miss."

"You too," I said with a smile.

He waved and slowly walked out the store while my head screamed at me, telling me not to let him leave. I looked at the door, wishing he would come back. The sales clerk cleared his throat, letting me know it was my turn in line. I apologized and placed my books on the counter. I kept glancing towards the door as if he would magically appear again.

I didn't understand this reaction I was having. I felt the strongest pull towards this stranger and I didn't even know his name. I paid for my books and reclaimed my bag. I shoved the books in my bag, slinging it over my shoulder as I left the store. I didn't feel like heading back to the hotel just yet so I walked around instead. As I was walking I found a place that sold gelato and decided to get a few scoops.

The place was jammed packed. After a short wait, I placed my order. Strawberry and chocolate gelato, one scoop each. My mouth watered at the site of it. I looked around trying to find a seat but every single one was taken. I frowned and headed toward the exit. Before I could leave, a voice called out to me nearly making me drop my gelato.

"This seat is free."

I slowly turned toward the voice and saw him sitting in the booth with his cup of gelato. He was looking back and smiled crookedly at me. I bit my lip to refrain from letting out a groan. My cheeks immediately reddened when I realized I was standing in the middle of the room ogling him. I looked down in embarrassment and slid into the booth facing him. I bit my lip nervously, not sure what to say.

"Thanks. For, um, letting me sit here," I said awkwardly, shifting my head down to hide my blush.

"It's not a problem," he said with a smile.

"I didn't think it would be this packed," I said.

"It usually isn't this packed. I come here most days."

"Oh, so you live here?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm just on vacation. I live in Chicago. And you?"

"Same. Well, I mean, I don't live in Chicago. I'm here on vacation and I live in San Francisco."

"San Francisco? I've been there once. It was a great place. Very…unique."

I laughed. "Yes, San Francisco is known for its uniqueness."

"When do you head back?"

"On Friday, which is only three days away." I hadn't realized that it was only three days. Earlier, it seemed three days felt like an eternity; now it felt way too short.

I took a few bites of my gelato. It was silent but not an uncomfortable silence.

"My name's Edward, by the way," he said.

"I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you Edward."

We asked each other small questions that quickly evolved into a long conversation. Not only was he beautiful on the outside, he was just as beautiful on the inside. I learned that he had just graduated from Dartmouth and wanted to be a music teacher. It felt natural being with him, almost as if we'd known each other for a long time. I could feel the connection get stronger and stronger with each minute I spent with him.

I was having a great time and didn't notice the endless text messages from both Alice and Rosalie.

-Where are you?

-Bella, it's been over three hours. Rose and I are hungry!

-I swear to god, Bella, if you do not come home I'm going to send out a search party for you.

Had it really been more than three hours? I looked at the time and saw that it was nearly seven. I couldn't believe it was that late. Looking at all my messages, I frowned. I couldn't believe that I had been out this late. Edward seemed to notice my sudden mood change and asked, "Is everything all right?"

I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Yes, everything is fine. I just hadn't realized how late it was. I should really get going." I slid out of the booth and swung my bag over my left shoulder.

I looked up and saw Edward standing right in front of me. I let out a squeak causing him to smirk down at me. Had he always been this tall? He couldn't have been, but then again I was too busy ogling him at the bookstore, I hadn't even notice his height. He must have had at least a foot over me. Why did he have to stand so close to me? I could feel the heat between us and I couldn't seem to control these foreign emotions that had taken over me. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It was terrifying yet oddly exhilarating. My cheeks grew red from the fact that I was shamelessly staring him down in the middle of the room.

"Let me walk you to your hotel. It's getting dark outside, and you shouldn't be walking out there by yourself," he said.

"What? Do I not look capable of taking care of myself? I'll be fine thank you very much," I said indignantly. I really didn't mean to come off so mean, but it was practically an automatic reaction when someone questioned my abilities.

He chuckled to himself and I found myself getting angrier.

"And, just what is so funny?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. You're very cute when you get angry."

I blushed a darker shade. He thinks I'm...cute? This must have been some sort of mistake. A joke, perhaps? There was nothing remotely attractive about me. Compared to Rosalie and Alice, I was a battered up rag doll with no fashion sense. And here, this Adonis, tall, handsome, and funny, and he thought I was cute? Had I stepped into some parallel universe? I looked up at his hopeful face, waiting for my reaction to his comment.

"Come on," he said and grabbed me by my elbow, leading me outside. When he touched my elbow, it sent a shock wave through my entire body and made me want him to touch me all over.

_Oh God, Bella, get yourself together. He's just a man; a very sexy, kind, sweet man that I happened to meet in Italy._ _Odds were I would never see him again_. I ignored the last comment in my head. I wasn't ready to say good-bye to him just yet. We walked towards my hotel, talking and laughing. It amazed me how easy it was conversing with him, as if I'd known him my entire life. I felt comfortable with him, and safe.

"Well this is me," I said standing outside the hotel. He nodded shifting his weight to the heels of his feet. I stuck my hand out and shook his hand. "Well, Edward, it was very nice to meet you."

He laughed, shaking my hand, and I blushed, realizing how formal I sounded. _This wasn't a business meeting, Bella_. God, he must have thought I was an idiot.

"Okay, well, I don't know why I'm so formal all of a sudden. And, I don't know why I'm still shaking your hand," I said finally releasing his hand. "All right, I'm going to go now. Bye."

Before I had the chance to walk off, I felt him pull me back. "Bella, wait. I wanted to ask you something."

I looked up at him expectantly. "Yes?"

He ran a hand through his silky hair and he almost looked nervous. "I was wondering if you'd like to meet me tonight. There's something I would like to show you."

"You want to meet with me?" I asked.

He laughed lightly. "Yes."

I bit my lip nervously. Who was I kidding? Of course I wanted to see him again. "What time?"

He smiled brightly at me. "Meet me by the bookstore around midnight."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

He leaned in, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, and whispered, "See you later, Bella."

He walked off with a smirk spread across his face. My mouth hung wide open and my knees shook. Holy…hell. This man would be the death of me; I could feel it. I had somehow managed to get up to the suite where I was ambushed by Rosalie and Alice.

"Where have you been? We have been worried sick about you. We called and we texted and left voicemails. Bella, what do you have to say for yourself?" Alice said everything in one breath and placed her hands on her hips. "Well?"

I blushed. "Sorry, it won't happen again."

Rosalie looked at me suspiciously. She walked around me in circles, tapping her finger and narrowing her eyes at me. "Something is different about you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my face growing one shade darker.

Alice cocked her head to the side and observed me too. "Yeah, I notice it too. Something just doesn't seem right."

Rosalie's eyes widened and she jumped animatedly while pointing a finger at me. "You met a guy!"

My eyes bugged out and I stood there looking at them in awe. How the hell did Rosalie know that?

Alice gasped. "And, you're meeting him again tonight!"

"How the hell did you two know that? Are you having me followed or something?" I asked.

Rosalie scoffed. "Bitch, please. Nothing gets past us."

I groaned and walked past them heading towards my bed. It was futile running from them because they quickly followed right behind me. They jumped on my bed and looked at me expectantly.

I sighed. "What do you want to know?"

Alice squealed. "What's his name? How old is he? Is he cute? Well, yes, I know he's cute. Where does he live?"

"Whoa, one question at a time."

The next hour I spent talking about him and the events that happened to me since the bookstore. I told them how we ending up bumping into each other at the gelato shop. They smiled and squealed when I told them he asked me to meet him and how just before he left he called me beautiful. Once it was around eleven o'clock, they decided to dress me up before I went to see Edward.

"No, guys. I don't want him to think I'm desperate or something," I said.

"Bella, you have to get dressed up," Alice complained.

I shook my head. "No. Look he probably doesn't even like me, so it wouldn't make a difference." _He's in a foreign city and he's probably just bored,_ I thought ruefully to myself.

Rosalie grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face her. Her face was hard as she looked at me. "Bella, now you listen to me. You are smart, extremely sweet and very beautiful. Edward should me thanking his lucky stars you even looked at him. And, if he doesn't see that, then he's not worth your time."

Her words hit me hard when they fully sunk in. I was lucky to have a friend like Rosalie in my life. I let out a sob. "Thank you, Rose, that really meant a lot." I quickly pulled her in for a hug.

"Let's get to work," Alice said clapping her hands excitedly.

Alice dug in my dresser drawers while Rosalie worked on my hair. Alice put me in a loose peasant top with intricate designs at the neck of the shirt. She also handed me a pair of brown shorts and a pair of gold gladiator shoes to top off the whole ensemble.

Rosalie lightly curled my hair and added minimal amount of make-up. Once they were done they observed me, making me nervous. Soon, wide smiles filled their faces.

"Perfect," Alice said.

"He won't be able to take his eyes off of you. Or his hands," Rosalie said.

My eyes widen while Alice burst out laughing. I shook my head and walked into the living room area. Both Alice and Rose joined me on the couch and we watched a movie to kill some time.

"So, are we ever going to meet this guy?" Alice asked.

"No, you'll scare him away."

I tugged on a piece of hair and bounced my leg up and down, nervously waiting. I looked over at the clock and saw it was time to get going. I stood up and looked at Rose and Alice.

"All right, I guess it's time for me to go," I said, grabbing a light sweater and my bag.

"I'm so proud of my baby girl. Running off to meet a guy at midnight," Alice said overly dramatically. "In Rome!" She added with a squeal.

I rolled my eyes and blew them a kiss good-bye.

"Don't forget to tell him to wrap it up!" Rosalie called out after me.

I ran out, trying to escape my crazy friends. As I walked to the bookstore to meet him, I could feel the giant moths in the pit of my stomach. What if he decided not to come? I could feel the panic begin to well up in my chest. What if it was just a sick joke or something? My panic quickly vanished the minute I saw his bronze hair sitting at the tables next to the bookstore.

I smiled brightly as I walked up to him. He flashed me his crooked smile as I stood right in front of him.

"You came," he said, sounding surprised. He must've been just as nervous as I was.

"I said I would."

"Well, I'm glad." He smiled, looking at me from head to toe. He eyed me carefully and I blushed at the intensity he had in his eyes.

I took this moment to quickly glance at him. God, he looked amazing. He had on a white button up shirt with denim jeans. He looked even more amazing than he did earlier, if that was even possible. My description of him to Alice and Rosalie did him no justice. I saw him lick his lips and it made me want to shove him against the wall and let him have his way with me.

I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. _Jesus, Bella keep your emotions in check. You don't want to scare the guy away._

"So, where is this place you wanted to show me?" I asked before my imagination took off.

"You'll see. For now I just wanted to take a quick walk, if that's okay with you."

I nodded. "Sounds perfect."

We walked around heading toward the Coliseum. I couldn't help but be hyper aware that our hands casually hit each other as we walked shooting tingles up through my arms each time.

Perhaps it was the late hour or the full moon, but everything looked even more beautiful for some reason. It was much more meaningful being with him. He made everything really easy. It was quickly becoming one of the best nights of my life. We talked and laughed the whole way. I didn't know where we were going and we finally arrived at an old tall building. I looked at him suspiciously.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"You'll see," he said walking towards the stairs that seemed to lead to the roof. "Ladies first."

I looked at him one more time before I hesitantly walked up the stairs that eventually did lead me to the roof of the building. I was blown away from what I saw. There were lights lit all around the roof, a few blankets and a basket.

"Wow," I breathed. Did he do all of this for me?

"That's not all," he said and took my hand pulling me towards the ledge. Before me was all of Rome. The lights dotted the landscape and created a beautiful sight. I greedily took in everything before me. Rome at night was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.

"Oh my."

Have you ever seen something so beautiful it almost made you want to cry? In that moment, that's exactly how I felt.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked.

I smiled. "I love it. It's so beautiful."

"Yes, it is," he said. I turned to look at him and found his eyes on me and not the view. He walked closer to me almost like a predator going after his prey. His eyes were filled with want and made my heartbeat faster with each step he took. I stepped back until I hit the wall behind me. My eyes immediately went to his lips as he cupped my cheek with his hands.

I looked into his eyes and they were darker, filled with desire. His lips inched closer to mine, and it felt as though my heart would explode. Just before our lips touched he said, "Bella, I am going to kiss you now."

I could feel him saying it and smell his sweet breath. I nodded my head and he immediately crashed his lips into mine. It was a surreal experience. His lips were soft and I couldn't get enough of them. My arms wrapped around his neck and his hand fell to my waist, gripping me tightly. Rome could be burning down and I wouldn't have noticed or even cared. I did something I have wanted to do since I met him; I ran my fingers through his hair. It was the silkiest, softest thing I'd ever felt.

We finally pulled apart and his forehead rested against mine. I let my hand fall to his shoulders and smiled at him.

"Wow," I said.

He laughed. "I've wanted to do that since I saw you at the bookstore."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. And when you started to speak Italian, it nearly drove me crazy."

I laughed and leaned in for another kiss. I knew I could never get tired of kissing him. I could have kissed him all night.

We laid on the blanket and my head rested on his chest like a pillow. His arm wrapped around me tightly and we looked at the stars. For the first time in my life I felt alive. I felt as though a part of me had just awoken. I had never had this strong of a connection with anyone else. Sometime after we laughed and talked, we both fell asleep. It was the best sleep of my life.

A part of me wasn't sure any of this was real. How could he feel the same way I did? How was it even possible to feel this way about someone I had just met? When I woke up, memories of last night flooded my mind. A smile spread out on my face as I still felt Edward's arm wrapped tightly around me. I kept hearing a beeping sound but I didn't know where it was coming from. Edward was still deep asleep and his death grip wouldn't let me go investigate what the noise was. It sounded a lot like my phone. I gasped making Edward stir. Alice and Rosalie must've been calling me. They were probably worried sick about me.

"Edward, get up. I have to go; Alice and Rose are going to kill me!" I said.

Edward rubbed his eyes and looked at me with a confused look. "What?"

I grabbed my phone and saw a few texts and missed calls. The clock read ten in the morning. Now, Alice and Rose were going to murder me and make it look like an accident.

"Rosalie and Alice are going to kill me. I have to go," I repeated.

Edward quickly got up and smiled at me. "Come on, I'll take you."

We quickly climbed down the stairs and as soon as we hit the bottom, he took my hand and we ran to the hotel. The wind was blowing in my face and I felt the heat of his hand on mine. I started to laugh, imagining what people were thinking as we ran past them. We must look like two idiots, but I didn't care. I was with Edward and nothing else mattered.

When we finally made it back to the hotel, I was gasping for air. I leaned against Edward trying to catch my breath.

"Want me to go up with you?" Edward asked.

I shook my head vigorously. "No, I don't think so. I want to keep you in one piece."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the hotel entrance. "Don't worry, I'll take the risk."

We took the elevator to my suit and I shakily opened the door. I walked inside, pulling Edward behind me. I was expecting Alice and Rosalie to attack me, but they didn't. They were nowhere to be seen. This was odd, and not a good sign.

"Alice? Rose?"

I gave Edward a shrug and walked into the living room. Alice and Rose both stood there as if they whad been waiting for me to walk in.

"Edward, is it? Have a seat please," Rosalie instructed coldly.

I groaned. "Oh no."

Edward looked a little scared too. It was appropriate, especially with the ominous feeling in the air. Alice and Rose were two people you did not want to mess with.

"Just what makes you think you can keep Bella out all night?" Alice burst out before he had a chance to sit down.

"Hey, stop it. Please can you not embarrass me?" I begged.

"We're your friends, it's in our job description," Rosalie pointed out. She replied without taking her stern gaze off of Edward.

"Look, we fell asleep. It was just an accident. It won't happen again, mom." I grabbed Edward's hand and turned around. "Now, stay and don't cause any more trouble."

I walked outside the hallways and leaned against the wall. Edward stared at me and began laughing.

"Just what is so funny?"

He smiled and shook his head. "You have great friends, you know that?"

I sighed. "I do. It's the embarrassment I could live without."

"It wasn't that bad." Edward walked up to me and stroked my cheek. "Bella, will you go on a date with me tonight?"

"A date? Like a real one?"

He laughed at my stupid question. "As opposed to a fake one? Yes, a real date, with real food too."

I hit his arm. "If you stop making fun of me, I might say yes."

He kissed me softly, making me dizzy. How could I be capable of a coherent thought when kissed me like that? "Will you go with out with me?"

I pecked him one more time before nodding my head. "Yes."

His smile made my heart flutter. "I'll pick you up at seven. Good bye, Bella."

With one last kiss, he left towards the elevator. I waved good-by and headed back inside. I had the biggest smile on my face and nothing could make me feel bad. I headed back into the living where Alice and Rosalie still were.

"I have another date tonight!"

Alice and Rosalie hugged me excitedly and begged me to tell how my night had gone. I gave them every detail from holding hands to our first kiss on the rooftop. As they had done last night, they helped me get ready for tonight's official date. They dressed me in a casual dress with these monstrous heels Alice had to force me in. Once I was ready, I started to get extremely nervous. The giant butterflies had returned and I had to find something to distract me or else I would throw up.

"I've never seen you so nervous, Bella," Alice said. "You must really like him."

"A little too much," I said. "We're leaving tomorrow and I'll probably never see him again."

"Make the best of tonight then and don't let your fear keep you from being happy," Alice said squeezing my hand. The phone rang and Alice ran to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Okay, thank you," Alice said before hanging up.

Alice skipped into the living room and smiled brightly at me. "There's a Mr. Masen in the lobby waiting for Ms. Isabella Swan."

"Oh God," I said, burying my face into my hands.

Rosalie smacked my arm. "Hey, don't ruin you make-up. I worked hard on it. Now, get down stairs. You've got a man waiting for you."

I waved good-bye and headed downstairs. The butterflies at the pit of my stomach would not leave and the only distraction I had was paying attention to where I was going or else I would break something in those enormous heels Alice forced me into.

I reached the elevator and the first thing I saw was him. He looked beautiful in his blue shirt and tie.

I stood in front of him and he leaned down to kiss me. It was an achingly slow kiss. I had to remember we were in a public place or I would've taken this to the next base.

"You look beautiful," he said taking my hand.

"Thank you. You clean up pretty good yourself." We walked outside to hail a taxi. "Where are we going?"

He held the door open for me. "You'll see."

"It's always secret locations with you." Edward laughed, closing the door to the cab.

We drove and arrived at a fancy restaurant. It looked a little expensive and didn't want Edward to have to spend all this money on me. We were taken to our table, which offered the most magnificent view on the second floor.

"Oh my God, this is so beautiful. Edward, you didn't need to do this," I said.

He took my hand in his. "Yes, I did. I want to give you the best out there, Bella."

I smiled at him and squeezed his hand, letting him know that what he said meant a lot to me. We ordered our food and talked about our life. I was saddened to hear that he lost his parents when he was a kid. He said he was lucky because he was taken in by his aunt and uncle, two of the greatest people alive. He told me of his love of music and how he'd like to share that with others by becoming a teacher. With every word he spoke, it made me like him even more.

Half way during dinner things got a little more serious. "Bella, I have a confession to make."

I eyed him curiously. "What is it?"

"It's nothing bad. It wasn't a coincidence we met at the bookstore. I was walking past this café place and I saw you standing with two other girls and I was immediately drawn to you. I couldn't explain this strange pull I had towards you. Then I saw you walk off by yourself toward the bookstore and walked in after you. You looked so cute when you had your eyes closed and tried to pick a book from your giant stack of books." He paused. "I suddenly felt really creepy, like I was stalking you or something. So, I picked up the first book I saw and headed straight for the cash register. And the rest, as they say, is history."

My mouth hung slightly open as I took in what he had just said. He followed me inside?

"Does that scare you?" he asked.

"No, it doesn't," I answered truthfully. "I hate that I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Me too," he said. Edward leaned in and kissed me so passionately it ignited a raging fire within me and the room, too, felt like it was on fire.

We paid the bill and we quickly hailed a cab and headed back to his hotel. I was itching to touch him but I knew I had to be patient. The minute we got out of the cab, his lips were on mine. My hands roamed his body and his hands explored me. We managed to keep our hands to ourselves as we headed for the elevator, but the minute the doors were closed, Edward pushed me against the wall and devoured my lips with his. I tugged at his shirt and put my arms under his shirt. I heard him moan out in pleasure making me want him that much more.

I didn't know how we made into his room, but we did. Clothes were being thrown everywhere and we eventually made it into the bed. He eyed me with hunger in his eyes.

"You are so beautiful," he said, looking at my naked body, taking in every inch of me with his smoldering eyes. No man had ever made me feel as beautiful as Edward had. I was his from the moment he laid eyes on me. I pushed back the thoughts of my departure tomorrow and focused my attention at these last final moments with him.

We explored each other's bodies for the rest of the night. He made me feel things I'd never felt before. Sometime during the night we fell asleep together, my hand draped over his chest as he held me close to him. The most amazing night of my life and it had come to an end.

I woke up, slightly confused as to where I was. I looked around and saw Edward sound asleep next to me. The images of last night flashed through my mind and a smile crept up on my face. Edward with his hands all over me. Our sweaty bodies wrapped around each other. Never in my life had I ever felt a sense of completion other than those moments I had been with him. I gently brushed his hair out of his eyes and looked at him. He was so beautiful. The most amazing creature to have ever walked on the planet and for some odd reason, he seemed to want me. He started to stir around in bed and his eyes shot open. A small smile appeared on his face when he saw me.

"Hi," he said in a raspy voice.

"Hi," I said.

We lay there in bed just looking at each other. We didn't say anything and we didn't need to. We knew how we were feeling and soft subtle touches said everything we couldn't form into words. Edward let out a long sigh as his hand ran an outline of my lips. I knew he was thinking that in just a few hours I would be boarding a plane back to San Francisco and would be leaving him. I didn't say anything about it and neither did he. There was no need to talk about something that could ruin these last precious moments with him but I felt as though something ought to be said.

"Edward, about tonight-"

Edward put a finger to my lips. "Don't. Let's not worry about that right now."

"But we can't just act like it's not happening," I said.

Edward hovered over me. "Please, just for right now. Let's not think about it."

His lips crashed forcefully into mine, moving with a sense of urgency. My body quickly responded to the kiss and I arched my back revealing myself to him. His hands roamed my body and could feel my body burn with desire once again. I wanted him. All of him.

Wordlessly, he buried himself inside of me and I moaned out in pleasure. We found a common rhythm and I tried to memorize the sounds he made. I ran my hands through his hair trying to touch him wherever I could reach. When the fire had died down he collapsed next to me and pulled me towards his chest. We breathed heavily and his arms wrapped around me. I placed soft kisses up and down his chest, memorizing every inch of him.

The room was silent, only filled by our heavy breathing. Soon, the silence was broken by my cell phone ringing on the bedside table. I already knew whom it was without having to check. It rang and rang. I made no movement to pick it up. I just let it ring. I couldn't bring myself to pick it up because if I did, it would be Alice letting me know that it's almost time to go. I couldn't face the reality yet. I knew I had to leave him but I didn't want to. I heard a small beep that let me know I had a new voicemail.

I kissed his chest one more time before I reluctantly rolled out of bed and went to take a shower. Once we were both showered and dressed did we finally say something to each other.

"Meet me for coffee at noon," Edward said looking into my eyes.

I grabbed his shirt, leaning in towards him. "Where?"

"The one by the bookstore," he said.

I nodded my head. "Okay. And I should go. I need to help Alice and Rosalie pack," I said silently.

"Okay. I'll see you later than." He grabbed my face in his hands and pulled me in for a deep kiss. I could feel the moisture in my eyes but bit back the tears. I pulled back and pecked him a few times before I quickly walked out the door.

I held back the tears as I walked through the hotel lobby and as I walked through our room. I looked around and both Rose and Alice were nowhere to be seen. I headed for my bed and pulled out my suitcase. I started packing and folding my dirty clothes and organizing my books in my book bag.

"Bella?"

I looked up to see Alice and Rosalie looking at me. I tried to put on a convincing smile for them. "Hey, guys."

"How are you doing?" Rosalie asked.

If I looked at their sad faces I knew I would have started crying, so I kept my head down as I packed. "I'm fine. I'm almost done packing up."

"Would you like some help?"

I shook my head. "No, I can do it. I don't have much left to pack."

"Well, if you need our help we'll be in the living room."

I drew in a long breath and collapsed on my bed once I knew they had left my room. I could feel so much pressure in my chest and my eyes filled with tears that I tried desperately to hold back.

Once I was all packed, I didn't really feel like being around anyone. I fell to the floor, hugging my knees tightly to my chest. I knew what I had to do but it killed me to make the decision. I knew I had to leave without saying good-bye. It was best if I left without any warning. I didn't know if I would be able to walk away from him if I were to see him one more time. It hurt too much.

I heard a knock on the door and saw Alice standing at the doorway. "Bella, are you ready? The bellboys are on their way."

I quickly stood and nodded my head. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's get out of here." _Let's get out of here before I change my mind and run out to find Edward_.

Alice, Rose, and I sat on the couch watching the television while we waited for the bellboys to come up and collect our belongings. I sat in between them and they held me knowing that I just needed them to be there for me. We didn't speak as they rubbed soothing circles on my arm or played with my hair.

The bellboys finally arrived and began taking our luggage downstairs. Alice directed them and made sure to let them know which bags carried fragile items.

I looked at the clock and saw that I was over thirty minutes late in meeting Edward. I wrapped my arms around my chest as if it would keep me from falling apart. The walls around me suddenly started to spin and I felt my breaths become strangled. I couldn't do it. I had to see him. I had to say good-bye. I had to kiss his lips once more, run my hand through his hair, and most importantly I had to be with him wrapped in his embrace once more.

I quickly turned to Alice and Rose. "I have to go somewhere. I'll meet you down in the lobby, I won't be long."

"Wait, where are you going?" Alice called after me.

"I have to say good-bye," I said knowing they would understand me.

I dashed down stairs and ran to the coffee shop. I needed to run, as dangerous as it was for a klutz like me; all I knew was that I had to see him. How on earth did I think I would be able to leave without saying good-bye? I knew it would be hard but I thought it would have hurt much more never saying good-bye. There was a slim chance that he would still be there but I had faith he would be waiting for me. I looked around for him frantically and saw bronze disheveled hair walking down the street. I found him; I still had my chance. I ran to him and called out for him. He turned and his eyes found mine. I didn't stop running until my body hit his at full force. He wrapped his arms around me as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed him wherever my lips could make purchase. I kept apologizing over and over again. I wasn't sure what I was apologizing for but I begged for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Bella," he said between kisses. "I thought you weren't going to come."

"I wasn't going to," I said.

"Why?" he asked, the hurt evident in his voice. He held me tight and I wrapped my arms around him breathing every part of him in. This is why I couldn't meet him; the pain was too much to bear. I was too much of a masochist not to come.

"Because it hurts too much to say good-bye," I said and felt the tears begin to form. "I'm too much of a coward to say good-bye."

"Then don't."

I looked at him, completely confused. "Don't, what?"

He untangled my legs and set me down. He looked straight into my eyes. "Don't say good-bye. Stay with me."

I let out a half sob, half laugh. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, Bella, hear me out. I've been thinking a lot about it. I thought you weren't going to come but part of me knew you couldn't leave. Just stay with me. Let's go somewhere just you and me. These past days have been the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't want it to end. Bella, just stay with me, please."

I shook my head trying to process everything he just told me. I could hear him saying all these things to me. I'd dreamt about him saying those words, but for some reason I just couldn't believe him. Didn't he see once reality set in, he would realize he'd made the biggest mistake of his life?

"I can't. I have a life to get back to. Edward, can't you see that all of this is just a rush of being in a foreign city. Once we go back to reality, you won't feel the same way about me. And, you'll get tired of me."

"Is that what you think this is?" he asked angrily. "Bella, it isn't like that. I've never felt this way about anyone before in my entire life. I don't think I ever will feel this way. Bella, please stay with me."

I shook my head, the tears fell rapidly and my vision blurred. "I…can't. Please, understand. I just can't."

He grabbed me and pulled me in for a kiss. Not just any kiss, but a kiss filled with passion and anguish. It was the kind of kiss that made my toes curl and made me ache with lust. I gave every last piece of myself into that kiss and held on tightly to him.

He pulled away and looked into my eyes. His green eyes filled with moisture and sadness, it made my stomach turn knowing it was me who caused him the pain. "Bella, don't go. I think I'm in love with you."

No, no. He couldn't love me. That wasn't part of the plan. It just was not possible. It'd only been three days. There was just no way he could have fallen in love so quickly. "Stop. Don't say that."

"It's crazy Bella. I know it is, but I am totally and completely in love with you," he repeated.

"Stop it, please. You don't love me, it's not possible. You just love the idea of me," I said.

"Bella. I. Love. You." He grabbed my shoulders not letting me escape. "Stay with me, please," he whispered softly.

I could say yes, and we'd run off somewhere together but sooner or later reality will catch up to us and when it did I knew I wouldn't have been able to survive. It would destroy me. It'd be best if I saved us all the pain and just say good-bye now.

I let out a strangled sob. "I'm…sorry. I just…can't. Let me go, Edward. Make it easy for us and just let me go."

I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to look into his, knowing it would break my resolve. I felt his hands loosen on my shoulders and once I was free, I ran. I didn't even look back. I couldn't look back for fear I'd see the mess I was leaving behind. I ran inviting the fire in my thighs. Physical pain was more appealing than emotional pain. I ran until I couldn't breathe.

I saw Alice and Rose standing outside the hotel hailing a cab. I ran until I reached them and nearly collapsed on top of them.

"Oh my God, Bella. Are you okay?" Alice asked trying to steady me.

Am I okay? That was such a loaded question. I was trying desperately not to cry but I had finally reached my peak. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I started to cry. Sobs ripped through my chest and I couldn't stop them. Rosalie immediately wrapped her arms around me.

"I'll take her inside the cab. You make sure everything is in the cab." Rosalie carried me to the cab and pulled me inside. She rocked me like a baby, running her hand through my hair. She shushed me and told me everything was going to be okay. I gripped her tightly and screamed. At this point I didn't care what anyone thought of me. To people I was just a crazy girl crying and screaming. They had no idea that I had just walked away from what could have been, the love of my life.

I cried all the way to the airport and while we boarded the plane. I could faintly hear Alice and Rose beg me to stop crying and talk to them. But, when I tried to let them know what had happened, the tears choked me stopping me from being able to talk. I kept muttering, "He's gone. He's gone. It's my fault. It's all my fault." I didn't know what I was blaming myself for. I just blamed myself.

I hated myself for leaving. I hated him for telling me he loved me. Why did he have to tell me he loved me? He didn't love me; he just said it so I would stay with him. No matter what his reasons were for saying them, I hated him for it. And, by hate I meant, that I too had fallen in love with him. I was just too scared to admit it. I had lost him because of my fucking fear. The realization of it just brought on more tears. I didn't know how I produced any more tears. I had cried out an entire ocean already, but the tears just kept falling.

I don't remember much of what happened after that. I vaguely remember Rosalie calling Emmett to come pick us up. I didn't really remember Emmett carrying me to his car and taking me home. I was a zombie for a few days. I wouldn't eat, and wouldn't leave the house. I was lifeless and I couldn't find the will to go on.

Eventually I came out of this catatonic state, or so Alice and Rose called it. I told them everything that happened in Rome. Those three magical days I had there. I cried and cried as I retold the events of those three days with Edward. They held me and brushed my hair and just let me cry my eyes out. The tears dried on their own and eventually I was able to see the sun again.

It's been six years since my time with Edward. Six years. Through those six years, I watched Alice and Jasper get married and even Rosalie and Emmett get married. I happily watched them in their stunning wedding gowns while I silently wished it was me in that dress and Edward standing waiting for me at the altar. Now and then the memories of my time with him would hit me hard like a pile of bricks. Those nights were the worst.

During the summers I liked to go back to Italy and return to those places I was with him. The first time I went back it nearly killed me, but I had to go back. I had to go see if all of it was real and that it wasn't just a figment of my imagination. I walked the same path and remembered holding his hand and his soft and gentle kisses. I had an odd feeling in my heart that I would find him again one day but who was I kidding. I knew I would never feel that whole again. Never again will I feel that alive.

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**Whoo, well there it is. I actually did cry while I wrote the ending. Was it just me? Lol. It probably was just me. I don't know but I just got emotional writing it. So, I really hope you liked it and I ask you to please review****. It would mean so much to me. And, be sure to let me know if you'd like me to make this into a story. I already have the alternate ending finished. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Remember,**

**Reviews= Happily Ever After.**


	2. 6 Years Later

**Happy Holidays everyone! Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Well, let me begin by saying I didn't win the challenge. It was sad but I had a good response and I thought I should continue it and give these kids a happily ever after. I want to thank everyone for all your reviews, it really meant a lot to me. **

**So this is the alternate-ending/chapter two. It is a short chapter but I hope you'll like it. I have to thank my two amazing, wonderful betas. Thanks to MadeleineJade for being a great beta. Go read her stuff trust me it's amazing. And, also a huge thanks to Bronzehairedgirl620 for also helping me with everything. If you haven't read her stories then where have you been? **

**Read it and leave me a review and let me know how you liked it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. But, I do own the New Moon calender that I got for Christmas. :D**

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The annoying alarm clock blared loudly, echoing around my room. With a long sigh, I turned facing the wall. I'd been awake long before the alarm went off; I was always awake before it went off. I never slept much. I'd taken sleeping pills, bought soothing CD's of the rain that were supposed to help you sleep, and even counted sheep. None of it worked. It was the same thing every day; try to sleep, have some awful nightmare and wake up at four o'clock in the morning. Two hours later my alarm would go off, and that's how my day began.

I slammed my hand on the alarm to stop the god-awful noise. I turned on the soothing rain CD and got out of bed for a hot shower. Loving the feel of the heat on my skin, I stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out before quickly dressing for work. I taught English to high school seniors so I didn't need to dress too formally; teenagers these days wore their sweatpants to school. If only teachers were allowed to do the same.

After I received my teaching credentials, I wasn't sure if I wanted to teach in the city. I loved it there well enough, but I decided to start somewhere new in a small city, Palo Alto. The plus side of it all was I was no more than fifteen minutes from Alice and Rosalie.

I arrived at school around seven, an hour before school starts to make sure I have my lesson plan ready. The first thing I did was head towards the copy room. I suppressed a groan. Only one other teacher was in there; Eric Yorkie. He was the freshman math teacher and was always asking me out on dates. He was a nice guy, just not my type.

"Bella, good morning," Eric greeted me.

"Good morning Eric," I said with a small smile.

"How was your weekend?" he asked looking eager to chat me up.

"Uneventful." I tried to keep these conversations as short as I could and concentrated on the papers in my hands to convey to him that I was rather busy. I didn't want him to think of our conversations as an invitation to ask me out…again.

I made copies of the homework and quickly said good-bye before he could get another word in. My first set of seniors came strolling in like a bunch of zombies. First period was the class that participated less in activities. Many of them were asleep anyway. But by the time my fifth period seniors rolled in, they were all wired up from lunch.

"Hello, everyone. Hope you all had a good lunch. Now please take out your copies of _Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?_" Like most days, near the end of class everyone was alert and were discussing the book.

"Here's a question. Why did George and Martha create this imaginary child? This child represented something to each of them," I said, steering the discussion to another direction.

"Ms. Swan, I'm sorry, but they just seem like a couple of fucking psychos," Collin said making the whole class laugh. I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. Collin was the boy who had no interest in literature but was smart as hell. If he would have put effort into his school work, he'd have beeen the top of the class. Unfortunately, he was more interested in being the class clown.

"Language, Collin," I scolded him.

"Well it's true. I mean, why would a normal married couple create an imaginary child and live with that lie for twenty-one years? No one, that's who. No sane person would ever do some crazy shit like that," he ranted.

I sighed and shook my head. Well, at least this probed he was paying attention. I looked at the clock and there was only a couple of minutes left.

"You make an interesting point, Collin. That is what I want you to tell me, in a five paged essay, single spaced, due in two weeks." I smiled as I heard the class collectively groan and berate their classmate with a sarcastic, "Thanks a lot, Collin."

The bell rang and the kids quickly shuffled out. Just before Collin left I called out to him. "Good job in class today, Collin. I expect an essay on my desk in two weeks, all right?"

He smiled. "Sure thing, Ms. Swan."

I was thankful this was my last class and I could go home and eat a proper lunch. I gathered my things and headed for my car. My phone rang, and I knew who it was before I even answered it.

"Hello, Alice."

"Hi, Bella. Is your last class over now?"

"Yeah, it just finished. What's up?" I asked.

"I was just wondering if you would like to meet Rose and I for a quick lunch."

"Um…yes, that sounds good. Where are you going?"

"We're heading over to Café Barones."

"Okay, sounds good. I'll be there in five minutes."

I hung up and drove to my favorite café. They had amazing food and delicious coffee; I was actually relieved Alice called. I really needed the company right about now. It was just one of those days, and I didn't feel like being alone. I was thankfull I still had both Rosalie and Alice in my life. I would have been completely lost without them.

It was also very convenient to have them nearby. Both Alice and Rosalie owned a boutique shop in downtown Palo Alto. Rosalie was more of a behind the scene girl. She kept the books, talked to fabric stores, and make sure their business didn't go bankrupt. Alice was the designer - and a brilliant one at that.

Each of them was married to two great wonderful men. Jasper was a psychology professor at Stanford, and Emmett was the Stanford football coach. Rosalie and Emmett had a four-year-old girl. Her name was Emma Lillian McCarty,and she was beautiful. Alice and Jasper have been trying to have a child but have had no luck so far.

I couldn't help but be jealous of my two best friends at times. I was happy for them, of course, but I also envied where they were in life. Here I was at the age of twenty-nine, still alone and no boyfriend. Yes, I'd dated and had boyfriends but I could never put my whole heart into a relationship. It was never whole to begin with.

"Bella, where has your mind gone off to now," Alice teased. We were sitting at a table waiting for Rose to come back with our drinks.

I blinked and realized that my thoughts had gone elsewhere, as they did most nights. "Sorry, Alice. I'm just a little tired."

She smiled at me, small traces of sadness filling her face. We both knew I was lying, and we both knew just where my mind was. It was where it had been for the past six years, with Edward. No matter how hard I tried to forget him, I couldn't.

I saw Rosalie heading towards us with a tray of drinks and food. "Here's our lunch. Now, what were we talking about?" Rosalie asked, setting down our drinks.

"I was just saying that Emmett and Jasper want us to go out to dinner tonight. Jasper has a new co-worker who just moved here, and he wants us to make him feel welcome," Alice said.

I groaned. "This isn't another set up is it?"

"Shush, you. It's not a set-up. He really is a new teacher at the university. Jasper just wants to make him feel welcome. And, if he happens to be single, well that's just an added bonus," she pointed out haughtily.

I laughed along with Rosalie. Alice was always doing this. I had nothing to lose so I agreed to meet them for dinner that night. After we had lunch, I went to Kepler's, bookstore right next to the café for a few minutes before heading home where I graded papers from my students so I wouldn't have too much work during the weekend.

I had nearly graded a class set of tests when I looked at the clock that read six thirty. I hurriedly took a shower and got dressed in a way that I thought Alice would approve of. I applied minimal make-up and blow-dried my hair, letting it fall naturally. I rushed out the door and drove to the bar where we had agreed to meet.

I pulled up to the parking lot and saw Alice and Rosalie both waiting for me outside.

"You look amazing, Bella," Alice complimented me the same time Rosalie remarked, "Good work."

I rolled my eyes at them despite their apparent approval of my appearance. It was like they were still surprised I could put myself together in a socially acceptable manner. I guess I would have been surprised at me if I were them. "Are the guys here yet?"

"Yeah, we just got here oursleves, but we saw your call pull up and decided to wait for you," Rosalie said.

We walked into the bar, and the hostess directed us to our table. "So, who is this guy?"

Alice shrugged. "All that Jasper told me was that he was a music teacher at the university. He was lost and Jasper helped him find his way around. Apparently he's the talk of the school especially amongst the ladies."

Oh, one of those.

I heard Emmett's booming laughter and saw three heads at the table. I stopped short as soon as I saw the third head. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. Before me was bronze-copper colored disheveled hair sitting right next to Jasper.

"I think his name is Edwin or Edgar. Something along the lines of that," Alice said, shrugging.

The minute Alice said that, time around me stopped. Everything froze. I gasped loudly, dropping my purse in the process. I was seeing a ghost. This couldn't have been real. I felt my chest get heavier and my breaths became shallower. The room was spinning, and I had to hold onto the railing in order to keep my balance.

"Bella? Bella?"

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**I know, I suck for ending it there but it had to be done. I'm not sure how long this will be. Would you like a long story with short chapters or a short story with longer chapters? Let me know. Leave me a review and let me know how you are liking it. **


	3. Dazed and Confused

**I can't begin to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. RL has been kicking my ass and I've had so much work. I hope you can all forgive me. I'll keep this short. Read, review, and let me know how you liked this chapter.**

**As always the biggest thanks to my wonderful beta Madeleinejade. She's awesome taking time of her crazy RL to help me with this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: Twilight does not and will never belong to me. **

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"Bella? Bella?"

As I tightly held onto the railing, the walls around me began closing in and I couldn't breathe. The mixture of the dizziness and shock made my stomach queasy. My hand flew to my mouth and I ran to the bathroom. I opened the first stall I could reach then proceded to throw up in the toilet. I felt a pair of cold hands brush my hair back. I flushed the toilet and walked over to the bathroom to rinse my mouth.

Alice handed me a paper towel and I wiped my mouth clean. I could feel a pain in my chest and I hugged my right hand tightly against it. Slowly the room stopped spinning but the pain in my chest only kept getting stronger. I wanted to cry, but I was too shocked to produce any tears.

"I can't go out there. I'm sorry, I just can't," I said looking down at the floor. "Will you take me home? He'll recognize you both."

"Okay, let's get you home." Rosalie wrapped me in her arms and headed outside. Rosalie threw Alice a set of keys. "Here, take the car. I'll drive Bella's truck."

She helped me inside the car before heading towards the driver's seat. I could feel the self-loathing get stronger as we drove towards my house. Could I have been any weaker? How could he affect me so much? I only saw the back of his head. Imagine if I were to have seen him face to face. That was a close call, but I wondered…

I could avoid seeing him, couldn't I? Palo Alto wasn't necessarily a big city, but there was a lot going in the Bay Area.

But why was he here? I thought that he lived in Chicago. My head began to pound loudly with all the questions swimming in my head. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and make this all go away. Once inside the house, Rosalie headed to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee.

I changed into my pajamas and sat on the couch. Rosalie came over with two cups and a plate of cookies that I had made earlier in the week.

"Eat this. It's not actual food, but you need to eat something," she said.

I wasn't hungry but I forced myself to eat every piece. I didn't want to give Rosalie something else to worry about.

We sat in silence eating cookies and drinking coffee. There was one question playing in my head. Why now? It'd been six years. Why now?

I could feel anger rise in me. I hated myself for being this weak. I had been doing fine. Great even. I thought I was anyway. I was teaching. I had my best girlfriends nearby. I was happy. Kind of. I let my mind speculate some more. He was probably here with his wife. I quickly shook my head in an attempt to erase that thought from my head. If that were true, I wouldn't be able to handle it. Alice never did say he was single though. A lot could have happened in six years. He probably hadn't thought of me much. Why would he have? I was the asshole who left him hanging, wasn't I? I felt sick about it.

My head throbbed with the most unbearable headache so I rushed over to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and pulled out a bottle of night time Tylenol. I looked over my shoulder to make sure Rosalie wasn't looking and dumped out four little pills, popping them all into my mouth. I took a sip of water from the sink and headed back to the couch. The recommended dosage of those pills was two, but I just knew that two wouldn't work. It probably wasn't safe to be taking four pills, but I couldn't find it in me to care.

Rose looked up at me when I returned. She looked concerned still. "You want to talk?" she asked.

"Um, not yet, thanks though," I answered. "You know, I think I'll go to bed now. I'm tired," I said with a yawn.

Rosalie nodded. "Okay, sleep well."

I tied my hair into a loose bun and snuggled in bed. I prayed that those pills would kick in quickly. I heard the front door open and heard Alice greet Rose.

"How is she?" Alice whispered.

Rosalie sighed. "I don't know. She doesn't feel like talking yet. She just went to bed, but…I don't know."

"I just got off the phone with Jasper. He made sure to not make anything suspicious," Alice said.

There was a brief silence then I heard Alice let out a small cry. "Rose, I'm scared for her. I don't know if she'll survive this a second time. She was so broken before. I was afraid we were going to lose her."

I heard quiet, stifled sobs from Alice.

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen. Ever," Rosalie vowed.

I bit my lip to stop the cries from escaping my mouth. Tears pooled in my eyes. I hated making them worry about me. I hated all the pain I'd caused them and seemingly to keep causing them. They were so great. I didn't deserve such wonderful, loyal friends, and yet I had no idea what I would do without them.

Eventually the pills worked their magic and I must have fallen into a deep sleep because I didn't remember anything else from that evening.

Some time during the night though I shot up and I heard myself scream. I stopped screaming and let out a deep breath. I must have had a nightmare. I looked over at the clock and wasn't surprised to see that it was four in the morning. I could feel sweat drip down my face and my clothes were damped with it. I didn't figure I'd get any more sleep that night so I got up, showered, dressed, ate, and headed for work.

I had no idea how I made it through that day, let alone the rest of the week. We had just finished the play and instead of me lecturing, I let my seniors watch the movie. It gave me some time to grade papers and plan for quizzes. There was a lot of work that needed to be done and I actually managed to do it all. It was a great distraction from thinking about those things that kept me up at night.

I couldn't have been happier the day Friday arrived. My last class finished, but I didn't want to go home just yet so I decided to clean the room and prepare for Open House night. It was coming up the next week, and I figured I'd get a head start.

I pulled out a file of my students' essays and other work to display. I ran out of room on shelves and windowsills so I decided to hang some work sampling on the wall. Now, I had no idea what I was thinking when I grabbed the chair and climbed on a desk. In hindsight, it was an epically stupid idea. Why? Because while I was in the process of stapling paper to a bulletin board, I heard a voice behind me, which caused me to lose my balance and slip. My ankle landed completely wrond and I banged my head on the table.

A shocked and frantic Eric came rushing to my side. "Oh god, Bella, are you all right? Here let me help you up."

He grabbed me tightly at my waist and gently hoisted me up. I felt a sharp pain as I tried to stand. I couldn't put any weight on my left leg.

"My leg. I can't stand," I groaned. Then I felt hot liquid drip down my face. I touched my head and when I saw that my fingers were coated in red, my stomach did flips.

"Blood," I managed to mumble before I passed out.

I had this uncomfortable feeling under my nose. I tried to breath in air but instead I breathed in the smelling salts. I groaned, moved my head away and swatted at them. I blinked a few times before I opened my eyes. I looked around me with my eyebrows creased. Where was I? I looked up and saw Dr. Cullen staring at me with a smile.

"Dr. Cullen? Why are you at my school?" I asked.

He let out a laugh. "Good to see you're awake, Bella. That must've been a nasty fall because you're at the hospital."

I felt myself flush. I started to remember what happened. I fell, hit my head, saw blood, and fainted. Typical day for a klutz like me.

"Do you remember what happened?" Dr. Cullen asked.

I nodded turning red. "I slipped off the table and hit my head."

"And why, pray tell, were you standing on a table," he asked with a teasing smile.

I looked down, my cheeks bright red I was sure. "I was getting my classroom ready for Open House."

The door swung open and a nurse stepped inside. "Excuse me, Dr. Cullen, there's someone on the phone for you."

He nodded. "Will you excuse me, Bella, this will be quick."

I sat down at the edge of the bed and tried to run a hand through my hair. There was gauze wrapped around the top of my head, probably to stop the bleeding. I tried moving my left ankle and winced. I really hoped it was only a sprain but with my luck I was sure it was a lot worse. I'd sprained my ankle before and this felt a lot worse. Already my ankle was swollen beyond recognition.

I wasn't sure how long I waited in the room but the door finally opened and Dr. Cullen came in.

"Sorry about that, Bella," he said. "Let me take a look at your leg." He touched my swollen leg gingerly, but I still winced from the contact. "Sorry. Can you move your ankle?"

I tried but it wouldn't wiggle. Not even a little bit. I shook my head in defeat. Dammit!

"Well, I won't make you try to walk then. We still have to take x-rays, but I'm almost positive your ankle's broken."

"Awesome," I said sarcastically. Dr. Cullen chuckled. "I'll keep trying to wiggle it. Maybe it just needs a second," I offered scowling at my stupid foot.

He chuckled again. "Okay, you do that then, Bella. Give me a second to check if…"

"Dr. Cullen?" a voice coming from the door asked.

We both looked up. I took in a sharp breath when I saw him standing there. This wasn't real. I felt the coldest shiver flow through me. It was Edward. I cried out both in pain and surprise. Edward looked at me and froze. Time stood still, and it felt like we stared at each other for hours rather than seconds. I felt myself get dizzy and fell backward on the exam table.

"Whoa, take it easy," Dr. Cullen said. "Bella, stay with me."

I blinked, feeling the room begin to spin. I had no strength to sit up anymore and my body gave out. Dr. Cullen kept calling out my name but it seemed as though he was really far away. I vaguely heard him say, "Edward, help me."

"Bella? Bella, wake up."

I groaned shaking my head. I closed my eyes tightly and hoped against hope that when I reopened them this would all have just been a dream. I slowly sat up and opened my eyes. I saw Dr. Cullen and when I looked to the left there Edward was in all his glory. I felt myself go weak again, but Dr. Cullen kept me in place.

"Easy, Bella," he said. "Edward, hand me ice pack please."

I closed my eyes and breathed in through my nose. My heart rate was fluttering like a humming bird. I suddenly felt something cold on my forehead through all the gauze.

"Hold on to it," demanded Dr. Cullen. I opened my eyes and saw that he looked worried. I was in here a lot because I was the world's biggest klutz, but he'd never looked this worried before. He'd always been my doctor since I'd moved to Palo Alto. His wife was the sweetest woman ever and she was Alice and Rosalie's best customer.

"Have you eaten anything today?" he asked. I shook my head. I hadn't eaten a real meal in a week.

He sighed. "When was the last time you at a good meal?"

"Umm," I hesitated.

I felt my face burn. I looked up at Edward who was eyeing me carefully and I stared back at him in wonder and confusion. I felt the tears well up in my eyes but I wouldn't let them fall, biting my lip instead. I looked up at Dr. Cullen. He was still waiting for my response.

He took my silence as an answer. "Are you still having trouble sleeping?" I nodded my head. I didn't want to have this conversation with Edward in the room. Why was he in here anyway? He must've noticed my discomfort and turned to Edward.

"Bella, this here is my nephew, Edward. I'm sure I've mentioned him before," Dr. Cullen said. I did recall him mentioning he had a nephew before. His nephew was coming to Palto Alto to start his medical residency with him. I just stared at Edward still not fully believing it was him, but it was then that I noticed Edward was wearing a white lab coat and an ID badge.

Edward was Dr. Cullen's nephew? But how? "It says Dr. Mason on his nametag," I blurted out.

Dr. Cullen seemed confused by my response. "His mother was my wife's sister," he explained. "He just moved here, actually. He has a part time job as an adjunct music professor at Stanford teaching, what just one class, Edward?" Edward nodded as Dr. Cullen continued, "which he does for fun, but he realized he wanted to be a doctor like me." Dr. Cullen smiled proudly. "He's graduated med school and now he's doing his residency training here with me."

"But I thought-" I stopped short. I looked up at Edward who was staring at me. I shook my head. "Never mind. I must be going crazy."

Dr. Cullen nodded probably thinking that the bump on my head was causing me to not think straight.

"Let me take another look at your ankle." I kept my eyes down because I feared that if I looked at Edward I would start crying.

"I'm going to check if an x-ray tech is available, but if you've indeed fractured your ankle, I'm going to have to put a cast on it that you'll wear for about eight to ten weeks," Dr. Cullen said.

"Eight to ten weeks?" I whined, making a face.

He made the same face back at me and nodded.

"I'll be right back, Bella. Meanwhile, Edward, I mean Dr. Mason, will stitch up your head. The bleeding has stopped so it's ready," he said. Edward quickly grabbed his things while Dr. Cullen left to go check on the x-ray tech.

I felt my heart flutter as Edward unwrapped the gauze and took a look at my head. When he touched me I felt a shiver run through my body. It was electrical and I flinched slightly.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, sounding slightly alarmed and holding his hands up in mid-air, stopping what he was doing.

"Your hand's just cold," I lied.

He apologized and proceeded to stitch up the deep cut in my head. I wasn't sure what to say or if I should have said anything at all. Perhaps he felt the same way because neither of us said much except for him asking how I was and me answering as he continued to stitch me up.

Just as Edward was finishing up, Dr. Cullen returned. He wheeled me to the x-ray room to confirm what we all knew to be true already. Yep, fracture.

Dr. Cullen finally casted my leg. I let out annoyed groan as I watched him work on my leg. I couldn't believe I had to wear it for up to ten weeks.

Soon I was all stitched up and wrapped up. Dr. Cullen told Edward to get a set of crutches. I scowled. I really hated crutches.

"Well, it looks like you're done. I'll have the receptionist schedule you an appointment in a month to check on your progress." Dr. Cullen gave me a hand and helped me up.

Edward came back and placed the crutches next to me without saying a word. I placed the crutches under my armpits. They felt as uncomfortable as ever. I'd had crutches a few times before, but I never really got used to using them so I practiced walking around the room to test them out.

"Look at you. You get better and better each time you have to use them," Dr. Cullen joked.

I laughed a genuine laugh at his remark. "I've had plenty of practice, haven't I?"

I noticed Edward suppressing an amused expression over Dr. Cullen's and my interaction when the door burst open and Alice, Rose, and little Emma walked in taking me by surprise.

"Oh my god, Bella you're in a cast," Alice shrieked.

"Crutches again, and you got stitches too?" Rosalie said incredulously.

"What can I say? If I'm going to injure myself, I gonna do it right."

"You're leg looks cool, Auntie Bella," Emma cried in delight. I snorted but smiled at her all the same. She was just the cutest little girl ever. She had her mother's long blonde hair and her dad's hazel eyes.

"How did you guys know I was here?" I asked.

"Eric called us from your cell phone," Alice said and flashed my phone in my face.

"Alice, Rosalie, pleasure to see you both," Dr. Cullen said. He pulled out a lollipop from his pocket and handed it Emma. "Hello, Emma, here's a special treat for you."

Emma giggled. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

"Oh shit," Rosalie said looking in the corner. Emma giggled and her Rose shook her head. "Sorry, baby, you didn't hear me say that."

I panicked as Alice's eyes widened at the sight of Edward. I had almost forgotten he was in the room. The room went silent as all of us stood just staring at each other. I flushed and looked down avoiding everyone's eyes especially Edward's. Dr. Cullen was a smart man. I was sure he was wondering why the hell we were all acting like someone in the room had bubonic plague. I looked at Rosalie who seemed to have gotten it together. I slowly looked over at Edward who looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Excuse me, Carlisle, I need to step out for a second," Edward said. He walked silently past Rosalie and Alice who were staring at him with jaws still practically on the floor.

A nurse walked in and everyone one seemed to sober up. "Dr. Cullen, patient in Room 12 is finally awake."

Dr. Cullen nodded in acknowledgement. "Ladies, it's been wonderful seeing you all. Bella, I'll see you back here in a month," Dr. Cullen said as he left the room.

"Say hello to Esme for me," Alice called out.

Alice and Rose both looked at me trying to assess how I was feeling. Emma ran towards me and touched my leg. "Auntie Bella does your leg hurt?"

I scooped her up in my arms, putting all my weight on my right leg, and gave her a giant kiss on her cheek. "It did at first but Dr. Cullen made it better. Why? Were you going to give me your lollipop?" I asked.

Emma shook her head. "Nope, it's mine." I smiled and gave her another kiss. I looked up at Rose and Alice who looked confused.

"How am I going to get home?" I asked.

"When Eric called us we stopped at your classroom and picked up your purse and car," Alice said.

"Thanks."

"Do you need anything?" Rosalie asked.

I shook my head. "No, I'm tired and I just want to go home and get some sleep."

I set Emma down and she ran to her mom. I could drive home because it was my left foot that was fractured not my right but Alice wouldn't allow it. Alice drove me home while Rosalie followed behind us. They helped me to my room and told me to call if I needed help with anything.

I popped open the bottle of Ibuprofen and took three pills. I downed them with water and lay in bed staring up at my ceiling.

Edward was here and he was Dr. Cullen's nephew. I probably wouldn't have been able to avoid him now. He probably hated me. I didn't blame him. The guilt and remorse came flooding back once again, and for the first time since I had found out Edward was here, I let myself cry. It was a long cry with screams and pillow hugging. What was I going to do now?

* * *

**He's back. Wonder what's going to happen next? Next chapter won't take this long next time, I swear. RL is slowly staring to wind down. Leave me a review and let me know what you are thinking.**


	4. These Feelings Won't Go Away

**Hey there... Boy it's been five months since I've updated. I know, I know, it's been a long, long time. But I have good reasons for it. I'm not going to bore you with the details but I will say one thing; writer's block is a bitch. Please forgive me for taking so long. **

**Thanks to my amazing beta's MadeleineJade. For those who have read her fic 'Can't Let Go' and the sequel, 'The Daily Grind', she now has the third installment called, 'Why the Heck Not?" Now if you haven't read her stuff, please do. Go show her some love. And, thanks to Bronzehairedgirl620, my other wonderful beta. Read her story 'Where the Sidewalk Ends' it's brilliant. **

**Now read on and let me know what you think...**

**Disclaimer: Twilight does not belong to me. I just like to create stuff.**

* * *

"Wait, why do I have to go again?"

Rosalie sighed dramatically. "How many times do I have to tell you? This is a big day for Emmett, and we need to be there for him."

"But I'm crippled," I pouted.

Rosalie let out an evil, loud laugh. "Honey, don't make me break your other leg." Her smile turned into a freakish one, causing me to shudder.

_Yes, ma'am_, I thought to myself.

Today was the big football game, with Stanford against UCLA. It was important for Emmett, which was why I would be going there, even though I really didn't want to go. It would probably be a good thing for me, though, because if I stayed in my apartment, I'd just wallow in self-loathing and think about him. I didn't want to think about him.

We loaded Emmett's Hummer with a cooler and a grill for a little tailgating before the game. Emma got out of the car when she saw me coming out. I laughed at this little girl all decked out in a Stanford cheerleading uniform, equipped with pom-poms and everything. She wrapped her little arms around my unhurt foot and I hugged her with one arm as tightly as I could.

"Emma, you didn't tell me you were a Stanford cheerleader," I said, chuckling.

All of us were decked out in Stanford gear. I had my sweatshirt, hat, and we even bought a bunch of foam fingers. It was our alma mater. We all had met there, so Stanford was a special place for us. But, in all seriousness, we looked a little ridiculous.

We arrived at the campus, and thankfully Emmett scored us good parking. Alice and Jasper arrived no more than twenty minutes after us. Jasper, being the man, set up the barbeque while the girls made the drinks. Emma entertained us by dancing around in the grass.

While the burgers were cooking and after the Bloody Marys were made, I sat on the grass with Emma and played patty cake with her.

"Are you still going to ballet classes?" I asked.

She smiled widely and nodded. "Yes."

"Do you like dancing?"

"Yup, it's a lot of fun. Are you coming to my dance recital?" she asked shyly.

I leaned towards her and planted kiss on her cheek. "Try and stop me."

She giggled and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. "Thank you, Auntie Bella."

Our little moment was interrupted by a very angry Rose and Alice tersely asking, "What the hell, Jazz?"

I turned around, confused as to why they were upset. Both of them were shooting death glares at Jasper. He looked completely helpless.

"Look I'm sorry, I didn't know. I just can't un-invite him now," he cried.

"Oh yes, you can," Alice and Rose both said.

"He's my colleague. I just can't do that." Rose was the first to see me and she nudged Alice with her elbow. Soon, all three of them were looking at me. I guessed they had something to tell me. I turned to Emma.

"Would you like a hot dog with extra mayonnaise and ketchup?" I asked. She nodded her head enthusiastically. After struggling a bit, I had managed to get up and get Emma her hot dog. She loved it with mayonnaise. Personally, I thought it looked gross, but to each her own. I left her eating and wobbled over to them.

"So, is there anything you'd like to tell me or are you all looking like that because we forgot the bottle of vodka?" I waited. "Spill it guys," I said when everyone decided it was best to look for scuff on their shoes.

"I'm really sorry, Bella," Jasper said.

"About what, exactly?"

"Look, I had no idea who he was when I bumped into him at Stanford. When Alice called me to tell me what happened that night, Emmett and I had already invited him to the game," Jasper said, looking at me sadly. I hated that look.

I processed what he had told me. _His colleague, dinner, that night._ Edward was coming here today. That explained the half scared, half worried looks on their faces. I quickly shook the scared feeling from my face and shrugged.

"Guys, it's okay. Seriously," I said. "I'm a big girl. You can stop trying to protect me."

Not wanting to hear more apologies, I changed the subject. "Hey, I'm hungry. We may want to make more hotdogs while we're at it." I reached out for the big spatula that Jasper was holding and took over the grill.

I was busy checking on the hotdogs and burgers when I heard that voice. The softest, most beautiful voice I'd ever heard.

"Hey, Jazz, sorry I'm late."

Jazz? I stood still and took a few deep breaths. Should I jump and say 'hey it's me, the asshole who left?' Or should I just stand still until Jazz introduced us? Either way, it was going to be awkward. Since I really couldn't move, I decided to just wait.

"This is my wife, Alice, and her best friends Rose…and Bella," he said slowly.

There was a lot of silence so I had no choice but to turn around. I turned slowly and met Edward's shocked face. Surprise. I felt my heart beating like crazy. No one really knew what to say. He must've recognized Alice and Rose from the hospital last week. _Someone, say something_, I willed them mentally. Thankfully, the silence was broken by Emma when she ran up to Edward and smiled.

"Your hair is crazy," she said with a giggle. "I like it."

Everyone, including Edward, smiled. How could you not smile at a cutie like Emma? "My name is Emma? What's yours?"

He looked at me before bending down to face Emma. "I'm Edward. It's really nice to meet you, Emma."

"You have a pretty name," she said, and she surprised all of us when her arms wrapped around his neck. She giggled, and danced her way to the grass. She twirled and we all just watched her in awe. That girl was something else.

"Are you hungry? We have a lot of food," Jasper asked Edward.

He nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

I quickly turned around and finished grilling the hotdogs and burgers, and I organized the table while Rose found us some drinks. Jasper made sure no one felt uncomfortable and I was extremely grateful for him. His presence made everyone feel calm and relaxed. At least, they _seemed_ calm and relaxed. The conversation never got awkward, and if it was ever close to turning awkward, Emma was there to save the day. She wasn't shy in front of him. She usually was not so open with strangers, so this was a first.

Once the game was about to start we loaded everything back into the truck and headed inside. We were seated right behind the bench line. We saw Emmett talking with the quarterback, Josh Nunes. The minute he saw us, he excused himself and headed our way. Emma ran and Emmett caught her; she laughed as he attacked her with kisses. Rose was smiling, looking at her doppelganger and her husband. Emmett held Emma with one arm and with his other hugged Rose and gave her a chaste kiss.

I looked away, feeling as though I was interrupting a moment. When I looked away, though, I looked right into a pair of green eyes. They were bright and beautiful. _He_ was bright and beautiful after all these years. He was older, and I could see a few wrinkles, but he was still beautiful. I wondered what he thought of me. I was sure I looked a lot different to him. _The girl who left_. That's all I'd ever be. I looked away in shame. I hated myself so much sometimes.

We didn't look at each other for the rest of the game. At least, I wouldn't look at him. I never really cared much for football, but it reminded me of Charlie. Charlie was always watching football with Billy. I missed him a lot. I hadn't seen him in years. We talked on the phone every week, but it wasn't the same. I really wanted to go see him, and at the same time wished he were there with me. I was sure he'd be having a lot of fun if he were here.

The game was over and we won, of course. All the players snuck up behind Emmett and dunked him with the bucket of Gatorade. That was always fun to see. To celebrate, Emmett took the players to a steak house. Some of the best steak in town: Sundance Steak House.

I really wasn't in the mood for steak or being around people, though. I walked towards Alice and pulled her back from all the cheering and celebrating.

"Bella, we won!" Man, she was loud.

I smiled. "I know, but listen, I'm not really feeling well. I think I'm going to head home."

"What? No, come on, we have to go celebrate," she pouted.

"I feel the beginning of a migraine. Can you take me home? I rode with Rose this morning."

She nodded. "Okay, let's go."

She told Jasper that she'd meet them at the restaurant. He nodded and shot me a small smile. I looked back at Edward and saw him staring at me. I didn't know if I should say good-bye so I just gave him a small wave.

Alice dropped me off. "Get some rest. Hope you feel better. I'll call you later."

"Thanks, Alice." She gave me a hug and then drove off.

I wasn't sad. I really wasn't. For the first time I didn't want to cry, but I still felt something in my chest. I didn't want to think about today so I just went straight to bed and slept.

School was nearing finals week, and being a seniors only teacher, I had to come up with my finals sooner than anyone of the other teachers. Seniors got out of school a week early in order to prepare for graduation and senior activities. I always got sappy with my seniors. These were a great group of teenagers, and they were ready to face the real world.

Work had been busy for the past couple of weeks. I had to finish grading all of my students' work and make sure their grades were ready to turn in by next Friday. I was just about done with the final exam when I got hungry. I hadn't seen Alice and Rose in a while and I missed them, so I closed up the classroom and headed to their boutique to see if they'd like to grab a bite to eat.

Ever since the football game three weeks ago, I hadn't seen or heard about Edward. Things had gone a lot better than I had expected. Yes, I freaked out and had a mini-panic attack, but I didn't show it. He and I never even talked except for a, "Pass the ketchup," and, "Yes, I'd like a cold beer." All in all, it was a great day.

I still think of that moment when we locked eyes, though. I wanted to say so many things to him. Tell him I was sorry but I doubted he even cared. Too little, too late. I deserved his anger and hate.

I walked down University and toward the boutique. I walked inside, but no one was in there.

"Alice? Rose? Are you guys here?" I called out. I walked towards the back of the store where the cash registers were.

I saw some guy standing there and I immediately stopped walking when I noticed Edward. His eyes bugged out when he saw me, and I was sure our faces mirrored each other's.

"Hi," was the only thing that came out of my mouth.

"Hi," he said, looking nervous.

Why was he here? Did Alice and Rose know that he was here? My questions were answered as Alice came out of the back room with a tray of coffee and tea. "Edward, I ran out of green tea but I have a few others you can choose from."

She still hadn't seen me standing there and just kept talking. "So, tonight's plans are pretty casual. Just the usual, you know, dinner and drinks. We'll swing by your place around-Bella, hi."

Now she saw me. She wrung her hands nervously. "What are you doing here?" I didn't answer her. Are she and Edward hanging out? The usual? What does that mean? Does that mean that they've done this before? I looked back and forth between them. I felt my heart sink.

Before I could say anything, the front door opened and Rose, Emmett, and Jasper emerged with In'n'Out bags and a tray full of drinks.

"We brought food," Emmett called out. They all stood still when they saw me standing there next to a shocked Edward and Alice. "Oh shit," Emmett muttered so softly that I was sure I wasn't meant to hear.

It had felt like we just stood still there for hours, but in fact it was less than a minute. I choked out a small laugh, but it was kind of like a cry at the same time. I hadn't seen my friends in weeks and now I find out that they hadn't even missed me. They were too busy getting to know my replacement. I couldn't help but feel betrayed. I knew they didn't really betray me, but it sure felt like it.

"So…" I said to Alice, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could. "I was going to see if you and Rose wanted to do something, but I see you have plans so I'll…just…"

I pressed my lips together, shook my head, and walked right past Rose, Emmett, and Jazz. I prayed I could keep the tears in, at least until I made it to my car. I heard a voice call out to me but I kept walking towards my truck.

"Bella, hold on!" Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Bella, please just let me explain."

"Explain what?" I asked calmly.

"Please don't be like that. If you're mad, then be mad. Yell at me, but don't act like it doesn't matter," Alice said.

"I'm not mad!" I rebutted.

"We didn't want to hurt you. It wasn't planned. It just happened. He was around more because of Jasper and he's a good guy-"

"Please spare me the good guy speech," I spat.

Alice looked at me with that sad look I loathed. "I thought you weren't mad."

"I'm not mad. Confused? Yes. Mad? No. Look, I have a lot of work to do, so I'll see you whenever, I guess." I walked away and this time she let me go.

I didn't feel like being in an empty apartment, so I went to Café Barones for a drink. How could they do this to me? Why? Was I overreacting? I didn't think I was. It was all just so weird. I didn't want to be hurt about it, but I was. And I hated that I felt hurt about it. I mean, they could hang out with whomever they wanted. I guess, I wished they would have told me about it. I just felt like an idiot.

Aimlessly, I kept walking, still not wanting to head home. I found myself on Santa Cruz Avenue, where there was a Farmer's Market going on. I decided that I was going to make dinner for myself that night, so I did some shopping for fresh ingredients. I even picked out some fruit to make a couple of pies.

I sampled food and listened to live music. It was nice and peaceful, and I was actually able to clear my head for a bit. I felt good for once, and I only wished I felt like this more often.

The sadness would come and go, eating away at me slowly inside. It was getting harder to get up and pretend everything was fine. Some days were better than others. Even with my friends with me, I still felt the sadness linger beside me. It wouldn't leave me alone. I wasn't depressed. I loved my life and my friends. I was truly happy, but there was something inside that just sat there waiting to bring me down.

I knew the sadness was there somewhere but I pushed it aside just this once. It felt good. It felt really good. I headed home and saw I had three voicemails and five missed calls. I knew who they were from, and I didn't even listen to them. Instead, I went straight to the kitchen and took my frustration out on the food, cooking a vegetable lasagna and baking an apple and a peach pie.

I tried not to let the loneliness get to me. It was kind of hard, though, when you truly are alone. Tomorrow was Saturday, and I had nothing to do besides finishing the final test for my students to take Monday. I headed to bed after watching re-runs of The Office. It was the episode where Jim and Pam got married. That episode always made me smile, especially when they walked down the aisle to Chris Brown's "Forever".

I dozed off sometime around midnight. I had a nightmare that night. It was a terrifying. I was all alone. We were in the boutique, just like yesterday, and they all turned on me. My own friends turned on me, telling me that I was evil and that I didn't care who I hurt.

Their eyes were dark and red as they told me to leave and never come back because they didn't need me anymore. I woke up in a sweat, crying out loud, and it was no surprise to find it was four in the morning. Maybe that dream wasn't as crazy as it seemed.

I mean, they really should be friends with Edward. He's a great guy and easy to get along with. I left, he didn't. He never did anything wrong to me, so why shouldn't they be friends? God, Bella, could you be a bigger asshole?

Around noon I picked up a few pastries from La Baguette in the Stanford shopping center, a French pastry shop Alice and Rose loved. I was bringing them as a peace offering. I drove to Alice and Jasper's place first. There car was in the driveway, so I knew they were at home. I knocked and a surprised Jasper stood on the other side of the door.

"Bella, hi," he said.

I gave him a smile, letting him know this was a good visit. "Hey, Jasper. I brought you your favorite; a Chocolate Truffle and a Hazelnut Mousse." I handed him the little box and his face lit up like it was Christmas.

"Oh man, thank you, Bella. Alice was just telling me she wanted to head there. This is awesome," he said heading to the kitchen for a plate. "Would you like something to drink?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you. Is Alice here?"

"Yes, she's in the work room." He shoved his mouth with the chocolate truffle and smiled at me. I walked towards the work room, but before I got there, Jasper called me back.

"Bella, you know we never meant to hurt you, right?"

"I know Jazz, thanks." With one last smile I headed to the work room and knocked before entering.

"Come in," she called.

I opened the door carefully and she was sitting on the stool with her sketchpad in front of her. She looked determined and focused while music played in the background. A little Lady Gaga to help the creative juices flow usually did the trick.

"Well hello there, Alejandro," I said.

Alice snapped her head up so fast. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She looked a little ridiculous and it made me laugh. I walked towards her and handed her the box.

"It's your favorite, Black Forest and Tiramisu," I said. Her face lit up just like Jasper's had.

"Wow, thanks, Bella." She opened up her box and picked up the fork that was on the inside and began digging in. "Oh ma gaww," she said with a mouth full of chocolate mousse and whip cream. There's nothing like a good French chocolate dessert to break the ice.

"What are you working on?" I asked, nodding towards the sketchpad.

She shoved the sketchpad towards me and I perused her designs. "It's just a bunch of jackets for fall. Esme called and said she needed a gown so I'm just trying to come up with something perfect for her."

All her designs were genius. One of them caught my eye in particular. It was a military leather jacket with a tail. There were decorative froggings on the front, back, and sleeves of the jacket. It was gorgeous.

"This one is my favorite," I said lifting the sketchpad and showing her. I noticed the word 'leather' was underlined and about three question marks followed it. "It should definitely be leather. I also wouldn't mind it for my birthday this year."

I looked up and smiled at her. "You got it," she said.

I put the notepad down and a moment of silence passed through us. Neither of us knew what to say. "You know, you don't need to protect me. I'm a grown woman and I can take care of myself," I said breaking the silence. "You lied to me, though. No secrets, remember?"

"Oh, Bella! I swear we never meant to hurt you. We just didn't want to lose you," she said. "You were so sad and broken before. It was horrible and I just don't know. We handled things all wrong."

Were things really that bad? By the looks of Alice's expression, it must've been. "I guess I need to give you the benefit of the doubt. I never realized how bad things were before. I appreciate you watching out for me, but I'm okay now. Really."

"Are you sure? We won't see him anymore if you don't want us to. Just say the word," she said.

I truly had the best friends in the world. "No, no. You don't have to do that. Please, he's your friend and it's not right of me to ask that of you. Besides, he did nothing wrong. I'm the one at fault here."

She gave me a puzzled expression. "What on earth are you talking about? How can you be at fault here?"

"I left. He didn't."

"Bella, come on," she said, giving me that sad look.

"I was the one who hurt him and I was the one who left. I was the jerk in this situation. You know, you ought to be mad at me. I screwed everything up. I'm the asshole!" I ranted.

"Bella, stop it-"

I cut her off. I was on a roll here. "No, really, think about it. I could have stayed and everything would have been perfect or it all would have been hell. At least I would have known and not wondered what could have been all my life. Now, I'll never know, but it was a decision I made and I have to live with the consequences."

Oh shit, I might have said a little too much. Before she could argue or get a word in, I stood up. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. I'm heading to Rose and Emmett's for a little bit. Call me and let's all hang out. We can even invite…Edward. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Alice nodded. "All right. Are we okay?"

"Better than okay. We've gone bonds, baby. Just try and break them," I said, smiling. One minute Alice was behind the table and the next she attacked me in a giant hug.

"I'm really sorry, Bella."

I hugged back tightly. "I know. I forgive you. I'm sorry too."

I stayed for a few minutes talking with Alice and Jasper over a cup of coffee and desserts. I had missed them so much. I had the same thought visiting the McCarty's. I played with Emma, talked with both Rose and Emmett. We worked things out. They apologized and I forgave them. Rose told me we'd have dinner on my last day of work to celebrate.

There was a possibility that Edward might be there. I could do this. I mean, what we had was in the past. We're different people. I could do this…right?

* * *

**Can they really be just friends? Who knows. But, please leave me a review and share your thoughts with me. I would love to know what you're thinking. Next chapter will not take five months, I swear. Thanks for reading, and see you next time. **


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